Improvement in edging-machines



' UNITED STATE-s 'PATENT OFFICE EDWARD H. STEARNS, OF ERIE,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN EDGING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 111,093, (lated January17, 1871.

Natnrc and Objects of thc Invention.

The first part of my invention relates to the construction and operationof the devices which I employ to move the saw to the right or the lefton the arbor and set and fasten it` where desired for the purpose ofsawing planks into any widths required, and to do this with quickness,accuracy, andfacility, these devices being a spring-latch seated on thesleeve, carrying the movable saw upon the arbor, in combination withcorresponding notches in the arbor itself, whereby a saw may be stoppedand held wherever there is a notch, and the stiffness of the spring isso regulated that it will yield to a certain amount of lateral pressureupon the sleeve, and the latch will let go its hold and the saw be leftfree to move to the next notch either way.

The second part of my invention relates to the peculiar operation ofguides for use in sawing, with circular saw, planks into various widths,in such a manner as to be easily operated by simple handles, and not beliable to be disturbed in their action by sawdust, bark, or other trash.

The third part of invention relates to a returning-roller mounted abovethe saw and the feed-rollers, and revolving in an opposite direction, bywhich the portion of a plank which it is desired shall be a second timefed to the saw may be easily and safely passed to the front of themachine without danger of coming in contact with them.

The fourth part of my invention relates to the mounting and operation ofa yielding feedroller, the office of which is to hold, by its ownweight, the planks down upon the feed-rollers while it is being fed tothe saw, and at the same time byits revolving motion to aid theserollers to feed the planks to the saws, and its operation is such thatit acts as efficiently with thick planks as with thin ones.

4Description of Accompanying Drawing.

the same. Fig. 3 shows au end view taken from the front. Fig. 4 shows across-sectional view of the yoke by which the saw may be moved laterallyon the saw-arbor, and of the saw-arbor itself. Fig. 5 shows alongitudinal vertical sectional view of the sleeve and arbor, takenthrough the lines y y,"Fig. 4, showing also a side view of thespring-latch and ing to View the latch, spiral spring, and screwcap.

General Description.

The side pieces A A should be supported by a sufficient number of legs,and should be Vframed together' by two or more cross-pieces,

and thus constitute a frame for the operative parts of the machine.

The feed-rollers R E are revolved upon their journal-boxes, seated uponthe frame, one or more in front and a like number in the rear of thesaws, by the band passing over the pulleys H and H and under the smallpulley N on the end of the arbor N, as shown, and another band, crossed,passing over the pulleys K K, communicates revolving motion to thereturn-roller F, but in an opposite direction to that of thefeed-rollers.

The purpose of the return-roller F is to facilitate the passage of aplank back to the front end of the machine, iu order that it may beagain fed to the saws, in order to cut off other strips and scanrlingsfrom the same.

A portion of the lengthof the roller is provided with short spurs orspikes over its surface, to prevent the plank from slipping when placedupon it to be carried back to the front.

rIhe feedrollers being placed above and nearly over the saws, as shown,the end of the plank is placed upon it from the rear of the machine. Itthen carries the plank forward until the weight of the forward endbecomes I greater than the rear end, when it tilts downward and isdelivered in the front with perfect safety.

The old method of returning the planks upon top of the pressure rolleror rollers was exceedingly dangerous because of the constant liabilityof bringing them into contact with the saws, which wouldthrowthemforward with almost irresistible force, and prove very destructive.Again, to stop and reverse the feed-rollers to carry the planks forwardwould involve a great loss of time. Again, to use two return-rollersabove the saws, besides involving the construction and mounting of tworollers instead of one, would prove inconvenient and unsatisfactory inpractice. But in the use of my single roller, turned by a band over apulley on one of the feed-rollers, or upon the arbor itself, one plankcan be returned with safety and convenience while another is being fedto the saw. This roller, by means of the small pulley on the end of itand aband' over that pulley and the pulley G, revolves the auxiliaryyielding feed-rollers P in the same direction-namely, toward the frontof the machine. This last-named roller, by its Weight alone, `pressesthe planks down upon the feed-rollers and prevents their slipping uponthe same, and thus secures their steady forward movement, and at thesame time aids' the feed-rollers to draw them through the machine. Itadjusts itself to any thickness of the planks by means of the curvedguides and hinged guides shown in the drawing.

In the saw-arbor N is cuta series of V-shaped notches, a a a, atintervals of from one to two inches, for the use of the spring-latches,hereinafter described, and the saws A A are made fast to the sleeves OO, which are nicely fitted to the arbor, so as to move evenly along ont-he same.

Suitable grooves are cut in the arbor along its entire length, as shownat p, Fig. 5, and by means of keys driven into them the sleeves arepreven ted from turning upon the arbor; but they may be moved laterallyupon the arbor until they reach the notches, which the V-form latcheswill enter by the force of their springs.

Two different forms of springs are used'by me to operate differentlyformed latches, though the entering points of the latches have the sameV form to suit the V-shaped notches in the shaft N. i

In Fig. 6 is shown the spiral spring seated against the screw-cap at oneend, while it is NNJgAwpressed at the other by a collar upon the catchitself.

In Fig. 5 is shown the other form of spring, i', the inner end of whichis seated in the sleeve.

Now, when the sleeve is moved laterally on the arbor, the V-shapcd pointmoves easily along the smooth surface until it comes to a notch, whichit enters with a snap. These latches will resist a certain amount oflateral pressure against the sleeve, but, on account of the form oftheir points, will finally yield and pass out of the notches.

The stiffness of the springs should be graduated, so as to have thepreciscamount of resisting power required.

In order to move the shaft laterally on the shaft, the yoke I isprovided, having a sleeve, which incloses and is supported by a rod eX-tending from one side of the frame to the other, as shown in thedrawing.

I wish it understood, however, that I do not confine myself toany'particular form of spring for the latch. v

The yoke, being fitted to the sleeve, is operated by the lever fi, asshown, and thus the inconvenient necessity of a link-connection isdispensed with, and the saw may be moved along the entire length of thearbor and set and fastened for use at any point desired wit-h certaintyand the utmost precision.

The guide-pins Z l are represented by dotted lines in Fig. l, and theirbraces S S in Fig. 2. They are operated by means of bell-crank levershaving suitable fulcrurns upon the lower part of the main frame. Theform of these levers and their mode of attachment to the guide-pins andto the straight handles L L are represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1.These guides are made to rise above the supporting and feed rollers bythe operator simply pulling the handles L L horizontally toward himself,and lowered by pushing them in like manner from him. Each handleoperates a front and rear guide, which are connected, and are in linewith the machine, and as many sets of them may be used in one machine asmay be useful. The great utility of these guides is manifest. The cleansmooth pinsl Zafford no room for the lodgment of bark or trash of anykind, and therefore their guidance of the planks straight through themachine cannot be obstructed by the articles before mentioned; butwithout these guides, or in the use of strips of planks for guides,chips, bark, and other trash will be much in the way, and cause thelumber to be sawed of uneven width, and result in loss.

I have, however, invented another device, which I consider superior tothe one above described, for which it may be substituted; or both may beused together in the same machine.

In edging planks that are unusually long, and under certain othercircumstances, it may not be convenient for the operator to get nearenough to the front of the machine to operate the device first describedby the handles L L; but while using the one last described he may standat a considerable distance in front of the roller C and operate theguide-pins of the device.

In Fig. 1, A2 is the bed-piece of the device, bolted upon the side pieceA, or it may be made as a continuation of the same piece; and upon thatbed-piece is bolted the metal piece A3, which furnishes the fourstandards, in the top of which the two windlasses a2 w have the bearingsfor their journals, upon which they turn, as shown in Fig. 2. On thedrums of these windlasses is a number of rigid upright guide posts orpins, such as i c' i, which are so arranged on the surfaces of the drumsthat when the forward drum is turned by the crank b' the rear drum willbe turned alsov in the same direction by means of the chain 12, and thatif the forward drum is stopped in revolving at a ce1-tain point wherethere will be no guide-pins above its surface, then the same will be thecase with therear drum;V or if it be stopped at a point Where aguide-pin will extend up from the center, or from any other point alongthe length of that drum, then a guide-pin shall extend up from thecenter; or from any point along the length of that drum, then aguide-pin shall extend up from au` exactly corresponding point of therear drumalso.

By means `ofthe spiral spring S2 the rear crank back and forth, canbring above the topV surfaces of the drums two guide-pins at any desiredand equal distances from the side of the machine, one being upon each ofthe drums, and both in a line parallel to the side pieces A A.

It is also obvious that neither barks, chips,

'nor trash of any kind can interfere with the action of this device.

Claims.

l claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the saw-carrying sleeveo, provided with the described catches, operated by springs, and thearbor N', with its notches, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. The rising-and-falling guides Z l, which may be raised above thefeed-rollers to guide the lumber, and lowered below and out of the wayof the same, as and when desired, constructed and operated substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

3. The windlasses @02 102, the metal piece A3, with the four bearingsfor the journals of the windlasses, the notched wheel B', thespringcrank b', the spring f2, the arrangement of the pins i t' t' iupon the drums of the windlasses, in combination, when each isconstructed and all are arranged substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

4C. The single return-roller F, provided with spurs, and revolving in anopposite direction to that of the feed-rollers, with the saidfeedrollers R E, and the saw-arbor N and frame A. when all areconstructed and arranged substantiall y in the manner described.

Witnesses: E. H. STEARNS.

EDM. F. BROWN,

A. M. S'roUT, Jr.

